Work holding



March 27, 192.8. 1,664,202

J. F. FEEHERY WORK HOLDING APPLIANCE Fil d March 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

, J.F. Feeher INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 27, 1928. 1,664,202

' J. F. FEEHERY WORK HOLDING APPLIANCE Filed March 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J'ffeeherq INVENTOR 35 BY W FE- I ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES JAMES F. FEEHERY, F COLLINGDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WORK-HOLDING APPLIANCE.

Application filed March 6, 1925. Serial No. 13,632.

My invention relates to work-holding appliances, particularly to work-holding appliances which are especially adapted for use with grinding machines, and it has for an object to provide apparatus of the character designated which shall be of staunch and rugged construction and capable of readily supporting various forms of work having relatively different shapes and contours. It has for a further obj eet to provide a holding appliance which shall admit of the work being quickly removed and replaced and which shall include facilities for accurately aligning the work with respect to the grinding wheel.

These and other objects, which will be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention, may be attained by the employment of the apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View,

in elevation, of one form of my novel appliance; Fig. 2 is a transverse view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; 3 is a plan view of one of the dogs or work retaining members employed in my appliance; Fig. 4 is a view, in sectional elevation, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a view, in elevation, showing the application of my work-holding appliance to a well known form of grinding machine.

In the process of grinding miscellaneous pieces of work having various shapes and cont-ours, it has generally been the custom to secure the work upon the table of the grinding machine by improvising for each piece of work a support formed by an aggregation of clamps, blocks, bolts, washers, etc. Frequently, the time consumed by the operator of the machine in the fabrication of such a support is considerably in excess of the time consumed in the actual grinding process.

I have therefore evolved a novel form of work-supporting appliance which is adapted to be secured to the table of any grinding machine and which is capable of not only securing pieces of work having relatively different forms but also pieces of work of very irregular form. Briefly speaking, my appliance comprises an angle plate for vertical face grinding provided with two or more dogs, or work retaining members which may be located in any relative position upon the angle plate. However, the retaining members may be mounted on the machine table or base as to permit of horizontal grinding. One or more of the dogs is provided with a novel form of clamping mechanism whereby the work may be rapidly secured in place. Adequate facilities for correctly aligning the work are provided. By means of such an appliance, the amountof Work produced by a single grinding machine acting upon pieces of work of various shapes and contours has been materially increased, the idle periods of the machine or, in other words, the time involved in admitting work to and removing work from the machine, being reduced to a minimum.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of my invention, I show in Figs. 1 and 2 a piece of work, such as a sole plate 10 having a surface 11 to be ground. As illustrated, the sole plate 10 is held in one form of my novel supporting appliance which is adapted to be secured to the table of a grinding machine as represented at 12. The appliance comprises an angle plate 13 which has provided in one of its faces a plurality of parallel spaced vertical and hori zontal T slots 14 and 15. Secured in the T slots 14, as by bolts 16, are upper and lower work supporting members 17 and 18. The work supporting members 17 are, in turn, provided with a T slot 20 and a feed screw 19 for permitting the adjustment of the work supporting member to any position intermediate of the slots. While I have shown the work supporting members as being carried in the vertical slots 14, it is to be understood that the angle plate is so constructed that the supporting members may be inserted horizontally, the manner of their insertion being determined solely by the contour of the piece of work supported. As illustrated, the lower work supporting members 18 are bolted to the angle plate and supported upon the table 12 of the grinding machine. However, it is apparent that the lower supporting members may be entirely supported from the angle plate.

To the lower work retaining member 18 is attached a hardened clamping plate 21 having a portion of its surface serrated, striated, knurled or defaced in a manner such as will prevent the work from slipping or from be coming dislodged. The upper work retaining member 17 is provided with a yoke end 22 within which is fulcrumed a lever 23 by means of a pin 24.. The lever 23 is also provided with a yoke end 25 within which a jew 26. is. fulcrumed. at 27. The jaw 26 is also hardened andi provided witlh a serrated surface 28 for preventing the work from be- 1 planefor facilitating the positioningof the:

work. A pawl 35 is: associated with the ratchet bar. 3% insuchia-manner asito prevent freedom of movement toward. the angle plate. A spring 36 is provided. fol: holdingthe, pawl in engagement with. the ratchet bar and. abutton:37 is-provided: on the'paiwl for manually releasing-the same. from the ratchet bar..

The method of employing the; above? form of work holder is {LSifOllOiWS-I The upper and; lower work supporting members: 17. and: 18? are; positioned upon the angle: plate-- 13 to correspond with the: contour of the: Work. to beground. The manner ofsecuring; these supporting members is; well known in? themachine tool art; The-"screws 33 are then: adjusted. so that the surface 1.1- of the work. tobe ground is. normal to the table 12. Very trequently,.the-sunface opposite that to be groundi is rat-her irregular and requires that. each screw beadjusted to a diiferent position. Upon the screws 33 being adjusted, to. suit the. W0lil(,. the: work 10' is fixedly secured. in. place: by manipulatingthe; j ack screw 29; the upward movement of this end of the lever forcing. the jaw 2.6 against the worln. The jaw 26 being suit ably located and; journalledl in. the lever 23, adjusts itself to the.- surface ot the worlt irrespectiveof the position ofthe'leven. The work. is: thus rig-idly secured. in; place and the actual! process of. grinding may he proceeded with:

Itis sometimes required! to grind the two opposite faces-0t a. piece; of work. In this instance, the adjusting screws may be employed to position thenvoiik. "for grinding the East face, after- \VlliChr these: screws: are moved out. of; position: and eaclr ratchet bar 3stis dnawn away. from the face plate an equal number of notches. 'llhefour ratchet bars therefore form a datum plane, which is exactly pal-allot with the-faceofi the: angle plate. Onesurface-of the Wonk having been ground, this: surface is. placed against the four ratchet bars 34, the lever 23: is employed tosecure thewonk in place, andithe'grinding of; the second: face may be proceeded. witln The two oppositely disposed faces: are thus gnound exactly parallel;

It is apparent-from the foregoing; descrip tion. of; inventiom. that I have; invented a. form of supporting appliance which permits'of the-work being quickly removed and replaced and which has facilities for very accurately aligning the work with respectto the table of'tlie griiidlng'machine. \Vhile Lhave shown four work supporting members in F 1, I may provide any number as may be-requircd toadequately support the work. Furthermore, while I have described my invention as being especially applicable to gninding machines, nevertheless it is to; be understood thatit is within the purview at my. invention to employ this appliancewith any form oii tool; mechanism for supporting the-work therein-i111 any desiredi relative pos tion. to the cutting tool. Inemploying this appliance in; conjunction with VHU1OLIEIHZ1- chine tools such as: milling machines; boring mills, planers, eta, suitable work stops-and;

supports may be provided.

In Fig, 5-, I have shown the application of my novel work supporting, appliance. to one 7 form: 0t grindingmachine 41. The mar chine 41 is provided with a circular grinding wheel 42 driven: by a motor 43 through suitable gearing 4A; The work 10 in; contact with the grinding wheel is firmly secured in my work holding appliance which is in turn. supported upon the table; 45 of the machine. It is apparent from. this. illustration that. my appliance may be readily applied: to any standandform of grinding machine without requiring any alterations whatsoever tothe machine.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in: the art that it is not solimited, but is susceptible ofi various other changes and modifications, without departing from! the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore thait only such limitations shall placed there upon as are imposed by the prior art,- or" as are specificallyset. forth: inthe appended claims- What I- claim is! 1'- In a. Wonk-holding appliance, the combination of: a base structure having a.- work ing surface, aplurality of independent work supporting members, each of said work'rsup porting' members having attaching; means for. rigidly engaging; said working surface; in anydesired. position relativeto each other, means associated with: each: work supporting member and adjustable in a direction toward or away from saidworking surface for establishing datumpoints for positioning the work, each: of; said work-supporting members having embodied therein as work: engaging surface adapted to: receive on exert a; thrust in a plane substantially arallel to said working surface, and indiv-i ual means embodied in some of the work-supporting members 1 for effecting such thrust.

2;. In: a work-holding; appliance, the combination of a. faceplate having; a. working surface, a plurality of independent worksupporting members, attaching means associated with each work-supporting member for rigidly engaging the working surface of the face plate in any desired position relative to each other, means carried by each work-supporting member and adjustable in a direction toward or away from the working surface of the face plate for establishing datum points for positioning the work, each of said work-supporting members being provided with a work-engaging surface adapted to receive or exert a thrust in a plane substantially parallel to the working surface of the face plate, and individual clamping mechanism associated with some of the work-supporting members for effecting such thrust.

3. In a work-holding appliance, the combination of a face plate having a working surface, a plurality of independent worksupporting members, attaching means associated with each work-supporting member for fixedly engaging the working surface of the face plate in any desired position relative to each other, projections provided on each work-supporting member, means carried in the projections and adjustable in a direction toward or away from the working surface of the face plate for positioning the work, fixed work-engaging surfaces provided in some of the work-supporting members and adapted to receive a thrust in a plane substantially parallel to the working surface of the face plate, movable workengaging elements associated with the remaining work supporting members and adapted to exert a thrust in a direction substantially parallel to the working surface of the face plate, and lever means associated with each of said movable work-engaging elements and arranged to effect such thrust.

4. In a work-holding appliance, the combination of a face plate having a working surface, a plurality of independent worksupporting members, attaching means associated with each work-supporting member for fixedly engaging the working surface of the face plate in any desired position relative to each other, projections provided on each work-supporting member, means carried in the projections and adjustable in a direction toward or away from the work ing surface of the face plate for positioning the work, fixed work-engaging surfaces provided in some of the work-supporting members and adapted to receive a thrust in a plane substantially parallel to the working surface of the face plate, a lever fulcrumed upon each of the remaining work-support- .ing members, and a work-engaging element associated with each lever and movable angularly with respect thereto, each of said JAMES F. FEEHERY. 

